PROFILE Professional fisherman calls Newcomerstown home

Published: February 28, 2004 7:00PM

NEWCOMERSTOWN Nationally recognized professional fisherman Kenny Morris will be the guest speaker at the First Annual Sports Show in Cuyahoga Falls, however, he now rests his fishing pole here in Newcomerstown.

A native of Barberton Morris moved to Newcomerstown two years ago and since became a part of the Trojan community.

Morris, age 36, began fishing with his father as a young boy and since then he has become a nationally recognized fisherman, tournament fisherman, sports show speaker and television guest star.

Over the years, he has been on television shows such as Buckeye Angler and Outdoors with Vic and Tom, as well as featured in the Akron Beacon Journal, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Walleye Insider and Ohio Fishing and Game.

Morris will be speaking about Lake Erie Walleyes at the Falls Outdoor Sports and Vics Sports Center sponsors the First Annual Sports Show in Cuyahoga Falls, March 5, 6 and 7.

Besides speaking at sporting shows and fishing in tournaments, he said he still goes back to the places where he knows he can have a successful day of fishing.

Other than fishing in local ponds and lakes in the Muskingum Watershed district, Morris travels to Lake Erie to do most of his fishing.

Ive been fishing Lake Erie for walleye for over 20 years, he said.

He said a trophy fish is anything over 12 pounds.

Morris also said he supports the new regulations on walleyes at Lake Erie. The new regulation allows anglers to take only six fish from March 1 to May 1.

He said this will help the population of the lake and continue the fishing season for years to come because he said Lake Erie is known as the Walleye Capital of the World.

Im a die-hard ice fisherman, Morris said.

He travels to Canada, Minnesota and Wisconsin during the winter months to do ice fishing.

Morris said he usually catches, on average, anywhere from 400 to 500 walleyes from April to November each year.

The secret to catching so many fish is not just dropping out a line and waiting for a fish to bite, he said.

He said new technology has helped get some of his biggest catches. Morris said there are devices like precision trolling that help determine how deep the lines should go in comparison to the waters depth.

In fishing, he said he goes with the philosophy of the early bird gets the worm. In this case, he said he has his fishing poles in the water before sunrise.

If conditions are right, Id guarantee fish, Morris said, how many, thats a different thing.

Morris resides in Newcomerstown with his wife Tracy and their son Dylan, age 9.